Ezekieli 21

1 Kisha neno la Yahwe likanijia, kusema,

Then came the word of Jehovah to me, saying:

2 “Mwanadamu, weka uso wako kuelekea Yerusalemu, na neno juu ya patakatifu; tabiri juu ya nchi ya Israeli.

Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,

3 Sema juu ya nchi ya Israeli, 'Yahwe asema hivi: Tazama! Ni juu yako! Nitautoa upanga wangu kutoka kwenye ala yake na kuwakatilia mbali wote yaani mtu mwenye haki na mtu mwovu kutoka kwako!

and say to the land of Israel, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, and I will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.

4 Ili niwakatilie mbali wote, mwenye haki na mwovu kutoka kwako, upanga wangu utatoka kwenye ala yake juu ya wote wenye mwili kutoka kusini hata kaskazini.

Seeing then that I cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north.

5 Kisha wote wenye mwili watajua yakwamba mimi, Yahwe, nimeutoa upanga wangu kutoka kwenye ala yake. Hautarudi tena!'

And all flesh shall know that I, Jehovah, have drawn forth my sword out of its sheath; it shall not return any more.

6 Kwa hiyo, mwanadamu, gumia kama kuvunjika kwa viuno vyako! Katika uchungu gumia mbele ya macho yao!

Thou, therefore, O son of man, sigh! With the breaking of thy loins, and with bitterness, sigh before their eyes!

7 Kisha itatokea kwamba watakuuliza, 'Kwa sababu gani unalia?' Kisha utasema, 'Kwa sababu ya habari inayokuja, kwa kuwa kila moyo utakuwa dhaifu, na kila mkono utasita! Kila roho itazimia, na kila goti litatiririrka kama maji. Tazama! Inakuja na itakuwa kama hivi! -hivi ndivyo Bwana Yahwe asemavyo.”'

And when they shall say to thee, “Wherefore sighest thou?” thou shalt say, “For the rumor, because it cometh; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall fail, and all knees shall flow with water. Behold it cometh, it shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord Jehovah.”

8 Kisha neno la Yahwe likanijia, kusema,

Also the word of Jehovah came to me, saying:

9 “Mwanadamu, tabiri na sema, 'Bwana asema hivi: sema: Upanga! Upanga! Utachongwa na kusuguliwa!

Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith Jehovah: Say, The sword, the sword is sharpened and furbished.

10 Utanolewa ili kushiriki katika machinjio makubwa! Utasuguliwa ili uwe kama mng'ao wa radi! Je! Tufanye furaha katika fimbo ya mwana wa mfalme? Upanga ujao huchukia kila hiyo fimbo!

It is sharpened, that it may make sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter. Or shall we make mirth? The staff of my son despiseth every rod.

11 Hivyo upanga utatolewa kwa ajili ya kusuguliwa, na kisha kushikika kwa mkono! Upanga umechongwa na umesuguliwa na utatolewa kwenye mkono wa yule auaye!'

And he gave it to be furbished that it might be handled. The sword is sharpened and furbished, to be given into the hand of the slayer.

12 Ita msaada na omboleza, mwanadamu! Kwa kuwa upanga umekuja juu ya watu wangu! Uko juu ya wakuu wote wa Israeli. Wametolewa dhidi ya upanga pamoja na watu wangu. Kwa hiyo, piga paja lako!

Cry and howl, son of man! for it cometh upon my people, upon all the princes of Israel. They are given up to the sword with my people. Therefore smite upon thy thigh.

13 Kwa kuwa kuna kujaribiwa, lakini itakuwaje kama fimbo ya kifalme haitakuwepo tena? -hivi ndivyo Bwana Yahwe asemavyo.

The trial is made. And what if even the contemning staff should be no more? saith the Lord Jehovah.

14 Basi wewe, mwanadamu, tabiri, na piga makofi, kwa kuwa upanga utakushambulia hata mara tatu! Upanga kwa wale watakaochinjwa! Utakuwa upanga kwa ajili ya kuchinjia, ukiwatoboa pande zote!

Thou, therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine hands together! for twice, yea thrice, cometh the sword, a sword of slaughter, a sword of great slaughter, that besetteth them on every side.

15 Ili kuyeyusha mioyo yao na kuongeza kuanguka kwao, nimeweka machinjio ya upanga juu ya malango! Ole! Umeundwa kama mng'ao wa radi, umetengwa kwa ajili ya kuua!

That their hearts may faint, and their overthrown may be multiplied, I have set the terror of the sword against all their gates. Ah, how is it made to glitter, polished for slaughter!

16 Wewe, upanga! Nyooka upande wa kuume! Nyooka upande wa kushoto! Nenda popote ulipoelekeza uso wako.

Unite thyself, smite to the right, prepare thyself, smite to the left, whithersoever thine edge is turned!

17 Kwa kuwa pia nitapiga mikono yangu miwili kwa pamoja (makofi), na kisha nitaleta ghadhabu yangu kwa waliobakia! Mimi, Yahwe, nimesema hivi!”

I also will smite my hands together, and cause mine anger to cease. I, Jehovah, have spoken it.

18 Neno la Yahwe likanijia tena, kusema,

The word of Jehovah came to me again, saying:

19 “Sasa wewe, mwanadamu, teua njia mbili kwa ajili ya upanga wa mfalme wa Babeli upate kuja. Njia hizo mbili zitaanza katika nchi moja, na kibao cha barabarani kitamwonyesha mmoja wao kama kuuelekea mji.

Do thou, son of man, appoint thee two ways by which the sword of the king of Babylon may come; from one land shall both of them come; and choose thou a place, choose it at the head of the way to the city.

20 Onyesha njia moja kwa ajili ya jeshi la Wababeli kuja Raba, mji wa Waamoni. Onyesha nyingine kuelekea jeshi la Yuda na mji wa Yerusalemu, ambayo imeimarishwa.

Appoint a way, that the sword may come towards Rabbath of the sons of Ammon, and towards Judah, to Jerusalem, the fenced city.

21 Kwa kuwa mfalme wa Babeli atasimama kwenye makutano ya barabara, kwenye njia panda, ili kufanya uganga. Alitingisha mishale na kuuliza mwelekeo kutoka kwa sanamu na atalichunguza ini.

For the king of Babylon shall stand at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination; he shall shake together his arrows, he shall consult the teraphim, he shall look at the liver.

22 Katika mkono wake wa kuume kutakuwa na dalili kuhusu Yerusalemu, kuweka mitambo ya kubomolea juu ya hiyo, kufungua kinywa chake kupanga kuchinja, kutoa sauti ya vita, kuweka mitambo ya kubomolea juu ya malango, kujenga ngazi, na kusimamisha wima minara ya boma.

In his right hand shall be the lot: Jerusalem, to set battering-rams, to open the mouth with the war-cry, to lift up the voice in shouting, to set battering-rams against the gates, to cast up a mound, to build a tower.

23 Itaonekana kuwa ishara isiyofaa katika macho ya wale walio katika Yerusalemu, wale walioapa kiapo kwa Wababeli! Lakini mfalme atawashtaki kwa kuvunja sheria ya mkataba ili kuwabariki!

And this shall appear a false divination in their sight, because they swore oaths to them. But he shall call to remembrance their iniquity, that they may be taken.

24 Kwa hiyo Bwana Yahwe asema hivi: Kwa sababu umeuleta uovu wako kwenye kumbukumbu zangu, makosa yenu yatafunuliwa! Dhambi zenu zitaonekana katika matendo yenu yote! Kwa sababu hii utamkumbusha kila mtu mtakamatwa kwa mkono wa adui yenu!

Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because ye make your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear, —because, I say, ye bring yourselves into remembrance, ye shall be taken with that hand.

25 Kama wewe, mchafu na mtawala mwovu wa Israeli, ambaye siku ya hukumu imekuja, na ambaye mda wa kufanya uovu umekoma,

And thou, profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day cometh in the time when iniquity bringeth destruction!

26 Bwana Yahwe asema hivi kwako: Toa kilemba na vua taji! Mambo hayatakuwa tena kama yalivyokuwa! Kiinue kilicho chini na kiinue kilichoinuka!

Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will remove the diadem, and take away the crown! This shall no more be this. I exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high.

27 Uharibifu! Uharibifu! Nitaiharibu! Haitakuwa tena hadi atakapokuja yeye ambaye ameteuliwa kutekeleza hukumu.

I will destroy, destroy, destroy it; and it shall be no more until he come to whom the right belongeth, and to whom I will give it.

28 Basi wewe, mwanadamu, tabiri na sema, 'Bwana Yahwe asema hivi hawa ni watu wa Amoni kuhusiana na ujio wa aibu yao: Upanga, upanga umechirwa! Umenolewa kwa ajili ya kuchinja, hivyo utakuwa kama kimuli muli cha radi!

And thou, son of man, prophesy, and say: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah concerning the sons of Ammon and their scorn; even say thou, The sword, the sword is drawn; to slay, to consume, is it furbished, so that it glittereth;

29 Wakati manabii wameona maono ya uongo juu yako, wakati watakapofanya matambiko kuuijia kwa uongo juu yako, huu upanga utaanguka chini juu ya shingo za mwovu ambao wako karibu kuuawa, ambao siku ya ghadhabu imekuja na ambao mda wa uovu unakaribia kuisha.

while they see deceit for thee, and prophesy falsehood, that it may bring thee to the necks of the wicked that are slain, whose day cometh in the time when iniquity bringeth destruction.

30 Rudisha upanga kwenye gala yake. Katika mahali ulipoumbwa, katika nchi ya chimbuko lako, nitakuhukumu!

Return the sword into its sheath! In the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy nativity, I will judge thee,

31 Nitamwaga hasira yangu juu yako! Nitapuliza upepo wa moto wa ghadhabu juu yako na kukuweka kwenye mkono wa watu wakatili, watu wajuao kuangamiza!

and I will pour upon thee my indignation, I will blow upon thee in the fire of my wrath, and deliver thee into the hands of brutal men, skilful to destroy.

32 Utakuwa kuni kwa ajili ya moto! Damu yako itakuwa kati ya nchi. Hutakumbukwa tena, kwa kuwa mimi, Yahwe nimesema hivi!”'

Thou shalt be fuel for the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; men shall no more remember thee. I, Jehovah, have spoken it.